Making Careful Carpet Choices

Rarely does our team see a potential flip that doesn’t need a little TLC. And it is even rarer to see one that doesn’t need new carpet. Updating the flooring in a house that we are flipping is kind of a no brainer. But do use caution when choosing what to do though. You as an REI have 3 main choices when it comes to flooring. Keep reading to find out what those choices are.

Clean–Really Good

Sometimes we find a flip that the owners really took care of the carpet, or better yet just had it replaced. We feel pretty lucky on those days! On some foreclosures, they are the higher price point, and the higher the quality of the carpet…usually. Sometimes we have come across homes that just needed a good cleaning; no replacement necessary. You can determine this on your first walk through and make note on your Property Repair Estimate Sheet.

We would suggest investing in one of those steam cleaners. Lord knows we have used ours plenty of times. It is truly amazing what a good steam clean can do for some dirty carpet. You can find a good one online for under $300. This is something you could definitely work on during your lunch hour.

Replace

In almost all our flips, however, it is necessary to replace the carpet. It is in reality almost always one of the top items on our SOW . Nothing makes a home look newer inside than replacing the carpet and a fresh coat of paint. Lots of times the carpet will hold the odor of the previous home owners. If they were smokers or had animals we don’t have to tell you that your potential clients will be turned off as soon as they walk in the door and the odors hit their face.

Be smart about what grade of carpet you choose for your flip. Make sure you choose neutral colors that won’t be hard to match furniture and decor. Also make sure the new flooring is comparable with the rest of the homes in the area. While builder grade carpet is mostly fine for flips, make sure it is comparable to other homes in the area. Easy way to check this is other listings on the MLS.

Strip Away

Sometimes you are lucky enough to find a nice surprise just laying there under the dank, dated carpet. Like one of our flips from our Flipping House series, The What Lies Beneath House, where we were shocked to find hardwood under the carpet. Hardwood floors are still a trend that have sticking power; homeowners want it. So if you flip up a corner of carpet on your flipper and discover solid hardwood flooring, you’re in luck. Remove the carpet and sand the floors. Keep in mind that you can always install engineered wood flooring or, as a last-ditch attempt, wood-look laminate flooring.

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